THREE POLICE OFFICERS CUT IN BUDGET ACTION

The cost of meeting the city's budget is leading to the elimination of about 12 city positions, including three held by long-time police officers.

Geoff Riches, the city of Cape Girardeau's personnel director, said Tuesday that the positions will be eliminated July 1, the start of the city's fiscal year.

The three officers were notified Monday about the elimination of their jobs, Riches said. The employees holding the rest of the city positions will be notified in the next day or so, he said.

Riches declined to comment in detail on the other positions.

"There are some other positions in the city that we're looking at," he said. The positions, he said, would include at least two city jobs already vacant.

The cuts are necessary to keep the city from reducing services in light of its sales tax and general revenues, he said. City sales tax receipts leveled off last year.

"In order to meet the budget for the coming year the city was faced with having to reduce some costs, including the payroll cost, which is our biggest cost overall," said Riches.

The decision will end the positions of Don Roberts, captain of the Cape Girardeau Police Department's auxiliary services; Bob Ross, a lieutenant who basically serves as a station commander; and Carl E. Pease Sr., a patrolman who primarily serves as a maintenance worker for the department, Riches said.

Though budgetary considerations are primarily behind the action, the police department cuts are also being made for "organizational efficiency," he said. The work the three officers now do will be reassigned or handled by other employees, he said.

Together, the three officers have worked at the city police department for more than 90 years. Riches said Ross, 60, and Roberts, 59, are old enough for full retirement; Pease, at 52, is eligible for early retirement.

Police officers are eligible for full retirement at 55, said Riches.

Roberts and Pease are being offered part-time work with the city, he said. Ross was not offered a position, he said.

"There wasn't anything really available for him to go into," he said.

Roberts would work in nuisance abatement and litter control with the city's Public Works Department, while Pease would maintain facilities for the city. Some of the work, Riches said, will be the same type of work the two officers are already doing.

Pease said Tuesday he felt hurt and let down after the nearly 25 years of service he's given the city. Pease, who joined the department in May 1967, said he had a problem with the way the matter was handled by the city. Both he and Roberts said the news of their terminations came "out of the blue."

He also pointed to the few years that remained until he reached full retirement age.

"Of all the dedication that we give the city, and then you get screwed like this, that ain't right," he said. "I mean I'll draw retirement, but it will be 18 percent less than if I had reached 55."

More than 37 years on the police force is coming to an end for Roberts. Ross started at the police department in September 1961 and has more than 30 years of experience.

Said Roberts: "I wasn't expecting this at all. I had no idea that they were doing any restructuring at all."

Pease said he tried to get the city's police chief, Howard "Butch" Boyd, and Riches to keep him on as a patrolman at less pay until he reached full retirement age. But neither would do it, he said.

In response, Riches said Pease had not worked as an actual patrolman for many years, so the city is continuing him in his role as a maintenance worker. With his retirement benefit and the part-time work, he said, Pease's pay would be close to what he is making now.

Boyd would not discuss the job cuts Tuesday and referred a reporter to Riches.

Pease said he would have to work the part-time job offered by the city until he finds something else. "But if I find something else I'll be gone," he said, "and to heck with the city."

Roberts said his part-time job offer is something he's looking at. "It's an option I've still got on my plate," he said.

The job cuts would reduce the police department's number of officers to 57, said Boyd. One captain and four lieutenants would be left, he said.

The department already has one officer vacancy created by the departure of Stephen Jarrell, who resigned to run for Stoddard County sheriff. Riches said he didn't believe the vacancy would be filled before July 1.

The city is looking at all vacancies that occur before July 1 to consider whether it wants to fill them now or wait until the new budget year, said Riches.